Matthew Wilson, ambassador and permanent representative of Barbados to the United Nations, has been appointed chair of the World Trade Organization’s (WTO) informal working group on micro-, small- and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs).

According to the government’s media portal, Ambassador Wilson was elected as the new chair on April 26 in Geneva.

“Given that more than 95 per cent of the businesses in Barbados are MSMEs and account for more than 65 per cent of employment, it is particularly relevant that Barbados has taken the lead in this discussion around ensuring that trade and trade rules work for MSMEs,” Wilson said.

The newly appointed head hopes to spark discussions around the impact of climate change and the green transition on MSMEs, women-owned MSMEs, and access to finance, and smallholder farmers.

Several MSMEs around face challenges when seeking to participate in the global market, especially in the Caribbean region.

In response to these challenges, members of the WTO signed an agreement at the 11th Ministerial Conference (MC11) in December 2017, declaring their intention to create an informal working group on MSMEs to explore ways in which member countries could better support MSMEs’ participation in global trade.